Hoyer on GOP's Health Care Hypocrisy

For Immediate Release:

July 31, 2007

Contact:Stacey Farnen Bernards(202) 225 - 3130

WASHINGTON, DC - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today regarding Republicans' hypocritical attempts to criticize Democrats for following through on their commitment to pay-as-you-go budget policies in crafting the Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act:

"In one of our first acts as a new Majority, Democrats reinstated the pay-as-you-go budget policies that helped create budget surpluses under President Clinton in the 1990s. Republicans deliberately allowed these critical rules to expire five years ago because they couldn't make the tough choices that leadership requires. Instead they borrowed more than a trillion dollars from foreign governments to finance increased spending and tax cuts that largely benefited the wealthiest Americans.

"Republicans have zero credibility on fiscal responsibility issues. In stark contrast, Democrats are committed to pay-as-you-go. The CHAMP Act is just the latest example of Democrats keeping our promise to be fiscally responsible while implementing America's priorities. After adding more than $1.2 trillion to the national debt over the last six years by enacting legislation cutting taxes and increasing mandatory spending that would not have been allowed if pay-as-you-go had remained in effect, Republicans' hypocrisy in criticizing Democrats' fiscal responsibility shows no bounds."